Berserker Nip
by CheshireCatwoman
Summary: Marluxia tries to do something nice for Saix with mixed results. Rated for possible drug usage in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Organization XIII. If I did, that would kick ass.

This takes place before COM, before Marluxia turned into an arrogant nobody. I know it might be a bit out of character, but I haven't played COM so I'm basing Marluxia's character on what I've seen here and on DA, which isn't much but I do what I can.

Of all the Organization members, Saix wanted his heart the most. Marluxia knew this. He also knew that, unlike the other members, Saix didn't fake emotions. He simply always had his trademark deadpan look outside of battle. Because of the fact that his emptiness was more noticeable on him than the other nobodies, Marluxia almost pitied him. Well, as much as a nobody could. Everyone else avoided him, the "psycho", but Marluxia didn't, and he wanted to do something nice for him. The only other one who would even approach the berserker was the Superior, but that was only when he had an assignment, as far as Marluxia knew.

One day, the terrible trio, Axel, Demyx, and Roxas got a pet cat. Marluxa wondered if it would be taken care of properly. How long would it be before it was neglected to be fed, or even worse, how long until it had the telltale burns from "playing" with Axel too much? At first, things seemed to go smoothly apart from Saix being grumpier than usual. His eyes looked red and puffy, and he began to sneeze every time this cat came around, or if the terrible trio came with their Organization cloaks covered in cat hair. Marluxia realized: Saix? With an allergy? Is this his weakness? Marluxia was surprised how helpless Saix looked when he was suffering with an allergy. To make things worse, everyone made fun of him instead of trying to help him.

Marluxia didn't particularly like what this cat was doing for everyone. It made Saix grumpy, which in turn made everyone else edgy as if the smallest thing could set him off, and it got the terrible trio into more trouble. Luckily for our Assassin, he always knew to lock his greenhouse so the cat couldn't mess with it. In fact he had always locked it after the time Vexen put a nice layer of snow on it, killing everything and making him start from scratch. Speaking of which, he hadn't even been to his garden that day, and he thought he should check on it just in case...he shuddered at the thought. He unlocked the door to his greenhouse and stepped inside to find something amiss. The cat was here and rubbing itself all over a particular plant- a catnip plant. The second thing he noticed was that there was a hole dug under the wall, leading to outside. _This cat smelled my catnip and _dug_ its way in here?!_ Marluxia thought, slightly confused. He knew the properties of catnip and that cats were attracted to it, but he wondered if it was a little much to actually dig so far to get to it. Marluxia picked the cat up with one hand and straightened out his catnip with the other. He frowned. _It's not as perfect as it used to be, but it could be worse… _he thought, a chill running down his spine remembering how cold it was that day. All of a sudden he got an idea. Looking at the cat, and looking back at the catnip, he thought of something nice to do for Saix.

Marluxia was a botanist. And when he wasn't taking care of the plants he already had, he liked to cross-pollinate and experiment to see what kind of bizarre plants he could create. He particularly liked dangerous ones, or ones that were beautiful but deadly poisonous. This time, however, he was going to make a variation of catnip. Or berserker-nip, as he was going to call it.

After putting the right ingredients together, giving it a bit of sunlight and adding a touch of magic, he had his berserker-nip. Now he just needed to give it to him. He wasn't quite sure how Saix would react to the herb, as he hadn't tested it yet and there was always the possibility of error. Then there was the fact that if he were to simply hand it to him, he might be given a strange look and the herb might be cast aside. _How do I give him this without him knowing it? If I come right out and tell him what it is he might not approve…_ Suddenly an idea formed in his mind.

Saix's birthday was coming. Well, not that nobodies had birthdays, but it was the anniversary of Saix joining the Organization, which was as close as they could get. Marluxia decided to put together a nice bouquet for him for the occasion. It's not like he'd never done this for any other organization member, so it wouldn't be suspicious at all. He took a glass vase and put some moonflowers in it, which he knew was Saix's favorite, even though he pretended otherwise. He also put in some bleeding hearts, and to "fill in the gaps" he put in the berserker-nip. Marluxia could put together a fine bouquet, and he stepped back to look at it to make sure it was perfect. He put some water in the bottom and headed to Saix's room.

Saix heard a knock at his door, and opening it he found Marluxia with a vase of flowers. He wasn't quite sure how to take this, as he thought Marluxia to be one of the…stranger…members of the organization. There had to be a catch. Marluxia simply smiled and gave a "Happy Birthday!" as he thrust the bouquet in his arms. "Uh…" Saix began, but the gardener left before he could say anything. Rather, he left before Saix could realize what exactly he had been given. Saix took a moment to see what exactly he was holding. Moonflowers. As if that hadn't been overdone, but he secretly enjoyed their lunar power. Bleeding hearts…now that was a new one. He had to admit, they _were_ kinda pretty. And they looked like hearts. _Heh…maybe he's giving me a "heart"._ But what really caught his attention more than anything was the last herb. It was obviously a filler, but its smell was much greater than the others. He took a piece out and began sniffing it, trying to figure out what it was. The scent became stronger as he rubbed it between his fingers, releasing its essence. He started to get entranced by the scent and found it strangely…_thrilling?_ Saix flinched at the thought as he noticed that his senses sharpened as they focused entirely on the strange herb in his hand. He felt a tingle down his spine and…wait, he _felt? What is this…? Am I feeling this? But I'm not supposed to feel! _As he wracked his brain with all the knowledge he had on the emotional capabilities of Nobodies, he became confused. Part of him wanted to storm back to Marluxia and demand to know what this vile thing was, and part of him wanted to roll around on the floor in the moonlight rubbing this herb all over his body. _Wait, what?_ Saix shook his head and mentally ordered himself to snap out of it. _What the hell is wrong with me? Is it just me?_ He eyed the herb carefully and weighed his options. If he asked Marluxia, he'd probably lie. Who else was there to ask? Vexen, who could identify it with scientific procedure? Zexion, whose sense of smell exceeded his own? Larxene, seeing as she was so close to Marluxia? Well, if Marluxia was going to lie, he should at least know what kind of lie. That sounded like a good place to start. He took one last long sniff of the herb in the privacy of his room, and with a deranged smile and cloudy eyes set off in search of Marluxia.


	2. Chapter 2

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how to use this website. I'll figure it out soon. And I still don't own the Organization.

* * *

Saix stumbled through the hall, trying to regain his composure before confronting Marluxia. He had calmed himself beforehand just in case he ran into any of the other Organization members, but holding the herb in his hand was almost too much for him. _Just a few more doors to go. You can do this, Saix. _His glazed eyes continuously scanned the halls, making sure no one would catch him in this state.

"Fancy meeting you here," said a voice from behind.

Saix jumped and spun around. _Is this dreaded herb dulling my senses?! Or simply lowering my guard?_ Saix thought as he faced the Cloaked Schemer.

"And what, pray tell, are you up to?" Zexion asked, motioning to Saix's disheveled appearance and…_what was that in his hand?_ "What's that?"

"Oh, this, um, well," Saix stammered. _Damnit, is this affecting my ability to think as well? Fuck it, just tell him. He can probably smell it anyway._ "I was, um, just going to ask Mar, um, 'leven. C-can you smell it?"

Zexion was a bit suspicious of the whole situation, but decided to tell him the truth. "I didn't smell a thing. That herb just looks like something from the greenhouse. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to help Vexen in the lab." With that, Zexion swished past Saix and into a portal of Darkness.

If Saix was in his right mind, he would've been suspicious. Why would Zexion talk to Saix in the first place if he just had to leave anyways? What was he doing there? _Why the hell couldn't he smell that? Is it just me?_ Unfortunately for him, he was just trying to get to Marluxia's room in one piece. He didn't even notice the fact that Zexion stole a small part of the plant as he brushed past Saix into the portal…

When he finally made it to the door marked XI, he pounded on the door and growled. Annoyed and frustrated, he waited a few minutes. _Wait, more "feelings"? Is that what this is? I sure hope this doesn't affect my berserker form. That could be a disaster._ After his patience wore through, he slammed open the door to find the room empty. Growling to himself, he stormed out of the room and headed to the one other place he could expect to find the Assassin- the greenhouse. Snapping his head up in realization, he summoned a portal to the place. He'd be damned if he was going to risk weaving through the castle to get all the way to the greenhouse. It was bad enough that Zexion caught him, but what about the others? What if it had been Axel or Demyx? Or worse yet, the Superior? Saix shuddered at the thought. He tried his best to be strong for his Superior, to be the one he could count on, but if he was caught in his moment of weakness neither one would be pleased.

Saix found himself at the doors of the greenhouse. Finding it unlocked, he went inside to find a certain pink haired nobody busily digging at the earth.

Marluxia pricked his head up at the sound of the door opening. He saw an angry looking Saix with the Berserker nip. Marluxia decided to play dumb. The last thing he needed was Saix tearing up the garden. "Hey Saix, what's up?" he asked with a smile, leaning on his shovel.

"What's up?! What's up?!" Saix growled. How dare the florist play innocent! "This is what's up!" He thrust the plant out to show Marluxia. "In the name of the Moon, what the hell is this?!"

Marluxia looked at the plant like he'd never seen it before. Then he snapped back in realization. "Oh, that! It was something I concocted just for you! Do you like it?" he asked sweetly.

Saix couldn't take it anymore. How dare that pink haired bastard talk to him so nicely, like nothing happened! "What the hell does that mean?! Have you gone fuckin' nuts?!" He could feel the hair on the back of his neck prickle, which he knew was the beginning of his berserker rage. _Aw shit, so it does make me go berserk easier…_

Marluxia cringed and backed up as he saw that look in Saix's eyes. He knew that Saix only used his berserker form when he absolutely had to. Maybe the berserker nip had a side effect, which in this case was irritability. _Note to self: If I live to make a next batch, make sure it doesn't make him cranky._ "I just wanted to do something nice for your birthday. And you didn't answer my question: Do you like it?" he said cautiously but as casually as he could muster.

"Do I like it?! What the shit is that?!" Saix screamed. He was halfway to his full berserker state, and at this point any hope of logical thought had disappeared. "Here's how much I like it!" he screamed with the instability of a madman. He took the herb, stuffed it in his mouth and swallowed it. "There, now it's gone!! Now there's nothing for me to like!!"

Marluxia stood back with shock and awe…and tried not to laugh hysterically. _Holy shit, did he just eat that?! All of it?! That was not my intention! But I gotta admit, I wonder how it will affect him?_


	3. Chapter 3

By the way, I still don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Marluxia looked at the Diviner. _He wasn't supposed to do that! What the hell's gonna happen now?!_

His answer was almost immediately answered as Saix calmed down at the drop of a hat. Grinning stupidly, his eyes dialated and his balance started to falter. He started chuckling as his feet danced in a vain attempt to regain his balance. Marluxia called his name and grabbed him by the shoulders. He looked into the diviner's vacant eyes and found...nothing. There seemed to be an empty universe in his eyes. Marluxia took his wrist and slung it around his neck to keep him standing. Saix looked at him with half open eyes and, with his one free hand, ruffled his hair and said in a slurred tone, "heh heh, You're the prettiest flower here, aren't you?" Marluxia wasn't sure if he should've taken that as an insult or a compliment. Marluxia started dragging him to a certain part of the greenhouse which was a bed of grass that he sometimes used to sleep on if we wanted to spend the night here. He took the berserker off of his shoulder and sat him down here. Saix was of no more use; that much Marluxia could tell as he stared at the creature, who was laughing with a half-conscious, stoned smile.

His world was spinning around him, and in a place as colorful as the greenhouse it gave him a psychedelic effect. He had no idea what to make of anything, but at this point he didn't care. _Somehow I think I knew I was gonna regret eating that…but for some reason anything could happen._ He saw a pretty flower directly in front of him, and it seemed to be larger than the rest. It had pink petals and, unlike the other flowers, it had a black stem. The flower started talking to him, and even though he knew that flowers weren't supposed to do that, he decided to let it slide this time because he simply did not care. Hell, the world could end and he'd still be smiling. "Damn it Saix, what am I supposed to do with you now?" the flower said nervously. _Well isn't that ruining the mood,_ Saix thought as he surveyed the colors spinning around him, creating a kaleidoscope of color mingling in the strangest ways possible. He was not moving from this spot for as long as he could get away with it. He wanted this moment to last forever, the colors, the sounds…_Are the other flowers talking too?_ He wondered as he tried to listen to them. He thought he could make out a song, and he started singing with them even though he had no idea what the lyrics were. "You ca' learn a lot o' fings from da flowers…espec'lly in da month o' June!" he slurred as he gestured toward the other flowers.

Marluxia shot up at this. _How could Saix possibly know that song? Unless…_he thought as he started listening to his plants, and lo and behold they were singing the song. _Curiouser and curiouser_, he thought as he stared at the berserker, who was still smiling and laughing with one eye closed and the other drooped open. He could only stare in shock as he came to the conclusion that Saix could hear the flowers the same way he could, but only with the help of the berserker nip_. Well, now there's something else to keep things complicated. What the hell do I do now? Maybe I should leave him here and keep an eye on him until it blows over. It's not so bad that he can understand the flowers._

Saix laid down on his back on the grass bed. It felt soft as a feather, which brought Saix to the conclusion that he himself felt as light as one. _I could just float away to the moon_, he realized as he looked up through the glass ceiling at the moon. "Hey I can see the moon from here! Damn Marly, I had no idea you had such a good view from here!" he said as he began staring at its entrancing shape. He had stopped laughing and had gone in a trance with it, staring with clouded, dialated eyes.

Marluxia overlooked the initial insult at being called "Marly" and looked up. Sure enough, Kingdom Hearts was shining with all it's might down on the greenhouse. "Aw shit," he said, wondering how this would affect Saix. _Wait a minute, I wonder if the moon, in combination with the berserker nip gave him the power to hear the plants? Isn't the moon associated with psychic power?_

He didn't have time to think about this as he heard a knock on the door. _Damnit, I don't have time for this!_ He always used to keep a blanket behind the grass bed for the times when he would sleep there. He threw it over Saix, hoping to shield him from the power of the moon before he went to deal with this new crisis. "Now Saix, I need you to stay here for a minute, do you understand?" he instructed the stoned diviner. He felt odd giving orders to a superior, especially Saix, but here he had no choice. It almost felt good (key word, almost. Remember, they're not supposed to "feel".) to be giving orders, but he couldn't dwell on that right now. Saix responded with a "Hey who turned out the lights?" and more stoned laughter.

* * *

By the way, the song Saix is singing is "Golden Afternoon" from Alice in Wonderland. I like to think that Wonderland is where Marluxia came from, but that'll be a whole different fanfic.

"Curiouser and curiouser" is also an Alice in Wonderland quote.


	4. Chapter 4

I hope it kinda makes sense. Once again, I don't own KH.

* * *

Zexion was in the lab, examining the specimen he had stolen from Saix. Vexen and Lexaeus were preoccupied with something in the other room, so Zexion had his privacy. It wasn't that he had nothing better to do, it was just the fact that he smelled a chemical imbalance in Saix earlier so he needed to investigate. Considering the fact that it was Saix he could only fear the worst. The plant itself only smelled like something from Marluxia's greenhouse, but its effect on Saix was noticeable. 

Upon examining it under a microscope, he thought he saw something strange – was this some form of cat nip? It was certainly no type he had ever seen before. Then he remembered Saix's behavior, and after putting two and two together he almost cracked a smile. Key word, almost. He still needed to run a few more tests on it to make sure it was what he thought it was.

After running the tests and confirming his suspicions, he had the information he needed. He knew it was a mutation of cat nip designed for Berserkers. He also knew who made it. There was only one botanist in the Organization who was capable of such handiwork. But there were two things he didn't know, and the first was _why? What the hell was he thinking? Who in his right mind would give _Saix _of all nobodies any kind of mind – altering substance?_ _And secondly, how will this affect his berserker mode?_ After all, behavioral patterns aren't so easy to find through lab tests such as the ones he was running. With what was left of the herb in hand, he went to the greenhouse to find out what exactly was going through that pink head. And for that matter, what was going through that blue head as well.

* * *

The door knocked again, louder this time. "Coming!" Marluxia yelled. He turned back to Saix and, not quite sure whether or not he'd stay in one place, made sure the stoner was as stable as possible before he rushed to the door. 

"Zexion," Marluxia started, slightly surprised. It wasn't often that the schemer was seen here. "Can you come back later, I'm kinda busy."

"No, this can't wait," Zexion said. "Vexen sent me up to get some specimens. He told me that the two of you have been on good terms lately and that you have some sort of agreement," he said questioningly. (A/N – No! Not like that! Not in MY fanfics! Minds outta the gutter, people!) "And no, it can't wait. It is most urgent."

Marluxia sighed and let him in. "Fine, but make it quick." Once the door was closed, Marluxia cut to the chase. "What does he need?" he huffed with his arms crossed.

Zexion loved it when he could lie and manipulate his way into anything. He put his hand in his pocket, clutching the Berserker Nip. "He needs-" he was just about to thrust out the evidence out to show Marluxia when he was cut off by someone singing. "What is that?" he asked accusingly, digging his hand deeper into his pocket. He couldn't believe this stroke of luck! He could "accidentally" find out about Saix's uncharacteristic high and make himself look even more innocent!

Marluxia cringed as he heard a certain stoned diviner singing "and the mome raths outgrabe!"

Zexion gave Marluxia a confused look and hurried to the source of the singing with Marluxia right behind him, telling him that "It's not what it looks like!" Zexion found Saix sitting on the ground with a blanket wrapped around his head like a turban. He seemed to be talking - or singing, Zexion wasn't sure- to someone who Zexion couldn't determine.

Saix looked up and noticed that the pink flower came back with a friend with bluish gray petals. "Hey, you brought a friend!" he said drunkenly, sniffing the air. "…But he doesn't smell like a flower like you," he said with a tone of disappointment.

Zexion was speechless. He had seen Saix before, but now…what happened? Did Marluxia give him anything else? "Wow, Eleven," Zexion started, making Marluxia as uncomfortable as possible, "You better have a good explanation for this one."

Marluxia stared. First at Zexion, then at Saix. Then back at Zexion, trying to think of an explanation. "Well see, I wanted to do something nice for him for his birthday, and well…this happened."

"And…what exactly is this?" Zexion said as he gestured to an immobile Saix, who was still singing loudly and incoherently.

Marluxia sighed with a tone of defeat. "I gave him Berserker nip. I just wanted to ease the pain that the hole in his chest gives him, that's all."

"Um, Marluxia," Zexion started coldly, "I hate to break it to you, but all of us have holes in our chests. That's what makes us nobodies. That includes me, you, and him," he said, gesturing to the presently not-so-divine diviner.

"Yes, Zexion, I know what a nobody is. But he is the only one who doesn't pretend to have emotions. He's the only one who shows what a nobody really is, which is nothing. I guess he always reminded me of this reality, and I wanted to see him at least attempt to express emotion."

Marluxia thought that Zexion would just start laughing at this absurdity. Instead, Zexion just looked at him blankly. "You're still new to this nobody business, aren't you Number XI?" he asked, stressing his rank.

"Yes, I know I'm still new, but come on Zexion, don't you understand?"

Zexion thought about this for a moment. As much as he wanted to just throw the idea out the window, he had to take it into consideration. He realized he had been a nobody for far too long. "I suppose I can see where you're going with this. My only concern with him," he said, pointing to the diviner who was presently comparing his hand with a flower, "is how this affects his berserker status. But it seems that he's become more peaceful which is in direct opposition to his nature. Keep an eye on him until it wears off. When he's sober, ask him what he thinks about the whole situation. That is, if he doesn't kill you first."

Marluxia cringed at the thought.

"Good luck," he said as he patted the Assassin on the back and motioned to leave. He was rather pleased at his own ability to make it look like he didn't already know about it. He had what he needed, which was Marluxia's frame of reasoning, Saix's behavior, and some mild entertainment. That wasn't exactly something you could see every day. "And by the way, if you're growing any other illegal or mind altering substances in here, do be careful. Don't do anything stupid."

"Um, ok." Marluxia was speechless as he watched Zexion leave. He looked at Saix, who was sprawled out on the ground. Marluxia rushed over to make sure he was ok. He was sleeping off his stupor. Marluxia looked up at the sky and found that the moon was hidden behind the clouds, which he guessed was a good thing. Marluxia dragged him back to the grass bed and made him comfortable, draping the blanket back over him. _He's kinda cute when he's sleeping. Almost like a puppy. Too bad we're all so afraid of him. _He watched as the usually intimidating Number VII snuggled deeper in the grass with a cozy smile.

* * *

"And the mome raths outgrabe" is also an Alice in Wonderland verse. Twas Brillig, people! 

Yeah, I know it's a bit fluffy. So shoot me.


	5. Chapter 5

Yep, still don't own KH, or Alice in Wonderland.

* * *

Saix woke up several hours later. The first thing he noticed was that he had a mild headache. The second thing he noticed was that he was surrounded by flowers. _Where the hell am I? How did I get here? Wait. Flowers. I'm in the greenhouse. What the hell am I doing here?_ He looked up through the glass ceiling at Kingdom Hearts and had no idea what time it was. No one was around, and if he was in Marluxia's greenhouse he expected to see him around here somewhere. _Maybe it's the middle of the night and he's sleeping._ He rose slowly, trying to make sense of things and trying not to aggravate his headache. _Where did this blanket come from? _

Then he slowly remembered the events of the previous day. _Holy shit, that herb…it made me "feel" so strange, but I'm not supposed to "feel"…I went to ask Marluxia about it, and then… _He got that far and everything started blurring out for him. _I hope I didn't hurt anyone. _He scanned his surroundings and found no signs of battle and no bloodstains, so he at least had that going for him. Then it occurred to him – _Oh shit, the Superior! I hope I didn't miss any meetings or missions! And if I did, what excuse could I give him? If I told him the truth he'd think I was an irresponsible stoner!_ With this frightening thought he stumbled out into the hallway in the direction of the Superior's office, still slightly delirious simply from not knowing what was going on.

Marluxia was coming back to the greenhouse after getting a light snack. He had been watching Saix for quite some time and his body had been arguing with him. _I hope he's still sleeping. I was only gone for a minute._ Then he saw someone walking towards him. _Now who could that be this time of night?_ Then he saw that telltale blue hair and his fears were confirmed. _Aw shit, I hope he didn't get into any trouble. I wonder if he slept off his high?_

"Saix!" Marluxia whispered loudly at the diviner.

Saix cringed. That small noise alone felt like a train crashing into him. "Marluxia, not so loud," he said, facing the assassin. At first glance he wondered, _Wait, wasn't he a flower earlier?_ He quickly shook off that ridiculous thought and asked him what he really needed to know. "What the hell happened?" He hoped nothing would aggravate his berserker side, as his hangover would not agree with that.

Marluxia lowered his voice even further. For all he knew Saix would be extremely angry with him, but he'd be even angrier if he didn't get answers. "Well Saix," he began, "you were kinda high," he said cautiously, looking away.

Saix looked at the ground. _If I had a heart I'd be embarrassed._ "How did that happen? I remember – wait a minute," he said slowly, trying to keep his headache in check while trying to figure out this mess, "You gave me flowers, and one of them had a potent smell, and…" he snapped up, remembering that it made him _feel_. Well, maybe it was an illusion of feeling, but it was pretty close. He wanted to be able to feel more than anything. He wanted a heart. But that was beside the point.

"Saix," Marluxia whispered, "it's 3:30 in the morning. Let's take this back to the greenhouse before we wake anyone up."

As they headed back Saix asked, "How long have I been out? Hours? Days? Did I miss any assignments?"

Marluxia chuckled. "Just since last night. Don't worry, you didn't miss any missions. And Xemnas didn't find out."

Saix decided that was a very good thing. He was still in favor with the Superior. He had to find little things to be grateful for, given the circumstances.

They went through the door that Saix had left open and took a seat on one of the benches lining the wall. _Hopefully seeing this place will trigger some memories_, Saix thought. "Ok," he started, "so I got an herb from you, and then I went to ask you about it. Then what happened?"

"You came to me here at the greenhouse, and after getting a bit worked up about it you ate it."

Saix was shocked. _So that explains what happened_. "I must have had a different reaction when I ate it," he said as he started to remember. "What was that herb anyways? And why did you give it to me?" he asked suspiciously.

Marluxia looked down, fearing the worst. _He'll probably find out the truth one way or another, so just tell him._ "It was a mutated form of cat nip for berserkers," he said avoiding all eye contact.

Saix just looked at him, trying to convey all of the disgust, horror and shock he would've felt had he a heart. "What the hell?! What am I, some kind of experiment?!" If he wasn't so hung over he might've had a bloodfest right there, but his body wanted to move as little as possible.

"Now, just hear me out," Marluxia started, holding his hands up and inching back, fearing the worst, "I just wanted to do something nice for your unbirthday. Sorry, I meant birthday, old habits you know... I wanted you to feel – well, as much as a nobody can – so I created this herb to give you a bit of a boost. I didn't mean for you to _eat_ it. That was all you."

Saix looked back, vaguely remembering the events of the past twenty-four hours. He remembered that when he was only smelling it, he actually "felt" pretty good, even if he was a little confused because he had no idea what the herb was. It wasn't until after he ate it that he lost all ability to function. "You know what, you're all right," he said with the faintest of smiles. "I guess you did have good intentions." And with that, he got up and left. Besides, even though the whole thing could've been a disaster, he still _felt_. And that meant more to him than anything.

Marluxia was left there, slightly puzzled. _Did he just smile? Maybe the berserker nip _did_ work!_ He thought triumphantly. He didn't get mauled, so he thought it was a pretty good conversation. _Maybe I _will_ make another batch…

* * *

_

Yes, another Alice in Wonderland reference! If you can pick it out, you get a cookie! Or some berserker nip.


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

About a week later, Saix got back from an extremely stressful and tiring mission. He started heading to his room with the intention of a nice, hot bath, but then he started wondering. _I wonder what Marluxia's doing…does he have any more of the, uh,stuff...?_

He looked around, making sure no one was watching. He slowly walked in the general direction of the greenhouse while constantly looking over his shoulder. All the while, he kept thinking to himself, _No, you shouldn't be doing this, go back, I bet he's not even there, you're being stupid, don't do it… _When he finally got there, he knocked gently on the door.

"Hey, Saix," came a voice from behind him.

Saix jumped and spun around. _That's not who I wanted to see._ "Oh, hi. What brings you here?" he said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"I could ask you the same," Zexion said knowingly.

"I asked first."

"Vexen sent me up here for some herbs." This time he was actually telling the truth, but part of him just wanted to go to the greenhouse to see if there had been any updates regarding Saix's situation. _Ah, there's no lie quite like the half truth._

The door opened and Marluxia saw who it was. "What can I do for you two?" he asked cheerfully.

"He was here first," Zexion said, wanting to draw out his visit as long as possible in case he would happen to miss anything.

"Step into my office, Saix," Marluxia said as he motioned inside.

Saix was relieved. He wanted this to take as little time as possible, given the awkward situation. "Thank you, Zexion," and with that Marluxia and Saix went inside, leaving Zexion outside. The schemer didn't particularly want to be left outside like that, but it was better than nothing. Besides, he could still smell any chemical imbalances that could possibly occur, and he could hear what they were saying if he pressed his ear to the door.

Inside, Saix was almost nervous. "Hey, Marluxia," he started, "do you have any, um…you knows?"

Marluxia was pleased by the fact that Saix would come back for more. _Good, I wasn't wasting my time by making more...and this time I made sure it wouldn't make him irritable. _"I sure do!" He ushered the diviner to the back of the garden which was mostly hidden by the other, larger plants. After finding the berserker nip, he used his skills to find the piece that he could cut off for Saix. He found the part that told him it wanted to be used for this purpose, the part he could cut off without listening to the plant cry. After pruning it off with expert care, he held it in his hand for a moment before giving it to Saix.

"Now Saix," he said, looking at it before giving it to him, "don't eat it this time."

"Oh, I won't," he said, remembering what happened last time. "And I definitely have no plans for tonight, so it's not like I'm going anywhere high." He could smell it already, and it was starting to have an effect on him.

"Ok," Marluxia said cautiously, "don't get into trouble," and with that he handed over the herb.

Saix was almost insulted by the implication that he wouldn't be careful with it, but he brushed it off. "I'll be fine. And if I have any trouble you'll be the first to know." With that, he turned to leave as he put the herb in his pocket. Just as he had his hand on the door, he turned back to the florist. "And by the way," he said, looking at Marluxia in the eye, "Thanks."

Marluxia met his eye, understanding what he meant. "You're very welcome." He watched him open the door and leave, knowing that everything would be all right. In fact, it would be better than all right because Saix would be in a good mood, which in turn would put everyone else in a good mood.

Saix left to go to his room and chill out for the rest of the night. Zexion watched him leave and go down the hall. _I suppose he'll be fine. After all, he knows what to expect now. I know he wouldn't be irresponsible with it. Maybe this is a good thing._

Marluxia knew what he was doing when he made it. He made sure it wasn't addictive and it had no adverse side effects. It was purely to make Saix feel, or at least give him the illusion of feeling. And it worked.

* * *

Kids, don't try this at home. Drugs are bad for you. And expensive.

In case you didn't notice, the reference to the "you-knows" is a reference to Those Lacking Spines. It's a great fic, if you haven't read it you should check it out ASAP! And for the record, Marluxia _does_ have you-knows. So there.


End file.
